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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26254690">The Marionette</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/imalwaysintune/pseuds/imalwaysintune'>imalwaysintune</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Choking Death, Happy Ending, Loss of Control, Power Dynamics, Rusty Quill Big Bang, Stranger- TMA, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Vast- TMA, Villains, descriptions of physical pain, gun death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:27:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,405</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26254690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/imalwaysintune/pseuds/imalwaysintune</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"When Tim awoke, he was only half-conscious. He could hear the echo of voices and was aware of his body, but he couldn’t move. He tried to open his eyes, something he had never even had to think consciously about before, but it wasn’t working. None of his body seemed to respond to him, something he’d never had experienced before." </p>
<p>Post S3, Tim manages to survive the explosion that takes out the circus, thanks to the avatars of the Stranger.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Rusty Quill Big Bang 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Marionette</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It's finally complete! I have been working on this thing for ages! I am so happy with it and I'd like to thank the amazing moderators of the RQBB for putting this together and giving me and other creators this opportunity!</p>
<p>I also want to thank my wonderful artist, morganite, for making some insaaaane artwork that I literally can not stop looking at. It will be near the end of the piece, but make sure to go give them some love on their tumblr <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/depressionmoodboard">(@depressionmoodboard)</a>, twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/morganite_illo">(@morganite_illo)</a>, and instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/morganite_illo/">(@morganite_illo)</a>! Many thanks for being my partner for this project and creating a wondering piece!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Tim awoke, he was only half-conscious. He could hear the echo of voices and was aware of his body, but he couldn’t move. He tried to open his eyes, something he had never even had to think consciously about before, but it wasn’t working. None of his body seemed to respond to him, something he’d never had experienced before.</p>
<p>	A cold feeling started to creep up his spine, digging into Tim’s back. He realized that he was probably lying on a metal table, though he didn’t know how he had gotten here. He tried to cast his mind back and remember the events that might have transpired before, but he was interrupted by a set of footsteps clacking against the floor. Tim was aware of a shadow passing over his vision as he tried his hardest not to panic.</p>
<p>	“Open,” the stranger said, and Tim’s eyes snapped open. He was met with a bright light shining directly into his eyes. He tried to bring his arms up to block his eyes from the light and was harshly reminded that they still didn’t move.</p>
<p>	The other thing Tim immediately saw was what he could only describe as Medusa. His mind was cast back to university when he took a Greek Gods course for an easy history credit. There were snakes coiling around the figure’s face, though whether they were real or not, Tim couldn’t tell.</p>
<p>	The figure smiled a smile that didn’t reach their eyes. Their teeth looked like they had been filed into points, and scales were scattered around their features. It was like so many depictions of Medusa he had seen, yet there was something off about the whole situation. The figure cocked their head to the side, and Tim was reminded of a statue whose head was broken.</p>
<p>	When it opened its mouth, its movements were jerky, reminding Tim of a marionette. “I think you might be my best work yet,” it said, a smile that looked more like a grimace spreading across its face. “So pretty.”</p>
<p>	It ran a single finger down one of Tim’s arms, though Tim wasn’t able to turn his head to look at the hand it was connected to. He tried to speak, but his mouth wouldn’t listen to his brain. He tried to scream, the beginning of panic working their way through his head and clouding his rational thought. The stranger’s voice was robotic, digging into his ears and bringing Tim’s vision and mind into focus.</p>
<p>	“Sit up,” it said, and Tim’s body started moving against his own volition. His legs swung sideways easily while his torso lifted off the table, a move that made his head spin. A cold hand was gently placed against his cheek and again, Tim tried to scream. Tried to move. He tried to do anything, yet his body was completely unresponsive. He felt completely numb- as if his whole body was asleep.</p>
<p>	“Now, I’m sure you must be confused. Or scared. Or both. I never really understood human emotion. I wanted to get rid of your emotions entirely, but the boss refused to let me. Oh! I’m rambling, oops!” Its laugh was piercing and staccato, digging into Tim’s eardrums. “Allow me to introduce myself.”</p>
<p>	The figure, eerily doll-like in appearance, stepped back into the middle of the empty room. It stood completely still and cocked its head to the side again, almost expectantly. Tim got a good look at the doll as it paused for an uncomfortable amount of time. It’s voice was piercing as it spoke too loud for the small space they were in.</p>
<p>	“My name is Deimos! I’m the boss’ right-hand man here at the Underground Circus. You might recognize my sister, Nikola, as she played a major role in conducting our ritual. However, she failed, thanks to you and your stupid archivist friends. So now it’s up to me to pick up the pieces.</p>
<p>	“I found you within all the rubble. I thought you were dead, but I discovered you were merely unconscious and so I was able to make you into a beautiful doll. Now you’re perfect, whereas before you were flawed. I made you whole.”</p>
<p>	Tim’s head was spinning. So much information, delivered so bluntly, had sent his mind into a state of shock. He didn’t register how Deimos talked, about how it ignored sentence structure and talked as if it was a robot. He didn’t think about the way the doll moved, or about where he was, or even about how he was going to get out of this.</p>
<p>	Memories were flooding his brain about what had happened. Infiltrating the Circus and attempting to interrupt the ritual. Faces that spoke with the wrong voice, voices that weren’t attached to anyone, names and faces that he didn’t recognize. Tim had thought, no, knew that he was going to die that night. He had expected it. He had wanted to get revenge for Danny, and he knew that most likely meant he was going to die.</p>
<p>	But the mention and Jon and the others also occupied Tim’s mind. Were they okay? Were they dead, or had they also been made into dolls? It was all too much, and Tim was spiraling into a pit he was never going to get out of.</p>
<p>	“Now, I’m sure that that was a lot to take in. I’ll admit it, I’m not very good at beating around the bush,” Deimos laughed again. “However, I’ll have you know that your friends are okay. Well, as much as they can be after a giant explosion anyway.” </p>
<p>Deimos smiled turned sharper, “I have you to thank for that. I was made to clean up the mess all on my own. So many beautiful creations wasted.”</p>
<p>	Again, Tim tried to speak, to say anything, but his mouth would not open. His vocal cords wouldn’t produce any sound. He was only able to push a small amount of air out of his nose, and that’s how Tim realized that he could breathe, though he wasn’t sure he really needed to anymore. </p>
<p>	“We’re going to make a deal, Timothy. Your friends can remain alive, at least for a while, if you are willing to cooperate with us, mostly willingly, and do what we ask of you. So I give you a modicum of choice, and you seal your friend’s safety. It would be a no-brainer, even to someone who has no brain- I would know! Ha!” Deimos’ hand moved above its head in a grand gesture and various lamps around the room lit up.</p>
<p>	Tim finally got a good look at where he was. He was sat in what looked like a stereotypical circus tent; the fabric that cascaded from elevated poles was striped red and white. Banners with small triangles were wrapped around the various tent poles, and the ground beneath him was bare earth. </p>
<p>	“So, what do you say?” Deimos was giving Tim a choice. Or, rather, the illusion of choice. Tim couldn’t even open his mouth to make his decision. Whatever the circus had done to him, they had taken all of his bodily autonomy. Tim was trapped in his own mind. </p>
<p>	“Oh! Right! You can’t speak. Let me just see here…” Deimos pulled out a book from seemingly nowhere and started flipping through it. Tim couldn’t be sure, but he would bet a great deal of money that the book looked spooky enough to be a Leitner. </p>
<p>	Deimos’ robotic voice began to fill the space suddenly as it read from the book. The incantation made its voice sound even more artificial, and Tim was utterly confused until he felt a tearing sensation in his throat. Fire was ripping through his esophagus, or someone reaching into his windpipe and pulling it apart. He gasped for air and distantly he heard someone screaming. As he tried and failed to claw at his throat, he realized that he was the one screaming. </p>
<p>	“You may speak freely,” said Deimos, it’s voice growing colder. Tim’s screaming subsided as he breathed in and out hard through his nose. He found he was able to open his mouth.</p>
<p>	“What the fuck?” Tim squeezed out, pausing between each word, his throat still throbbing in pain. His voice sounded strained, and his mouth felt odd as it shaped the words he’d been wanting to say. He tried again to move his limbs to no avail. His head was stuck staring straight ahead at Deimos, but his mind was elsewhere. </p>
<p>	His throat was still throbbing, but it felt less like fire and more like a dull ache. He questioned whether he had actually spoken or if he had just imagined it. He tried again.</p>
<p>	“W-Where am I?” he asked, his voice sounded sharp even to his own ears. He wanted to wince, but he couldn’t control his facial features. Only his jaw and his tongue which allowed him to speak. His own face even felt foreign to him, as if it had been ripped off and replaced with a hollow shell. He shivered internally at the thought.</p>
<p>	“My boy, I already explained that! Hmm,” Deimos placed a hand on its chin, almost as if it was thinking. “Perhaps I should show you, that might get it through that thick skull of yours. Ha! Just kidding! Nothing can break through my handy work.”</p>
<p>	Deimos jerked and made its way over to Tim. It stood in front of Tim as his gaze never wavered. He was staring into its chest until it took a single finger under Tim’s chin and raised his head. “So pretty. I think you’re the best I’ve ever made,” it said, the doll’s mouth turning up into the first smile that actually reached its eyes. “Follow me.”</p>
<p>	Tim’s body jerked as his feet hit the ground. He was still wearing the same boots he had been wearing when infiltrating the surface, his clothes different. He was wearing a light cotton shirt and sweatpants. Even through everything racing in his mind, Tim wondered idly where the Circus got such comfy clothing.</p>
<p>	Deimos made its way towards the front of the tent, pulling aside the flap with ease. Tim’s body moved fluidly through the space and the entrance of the tent. When Tim’s body righted, he got a look as to what space lies beyond the tent that he woke up in. </p>
<p>	He didn’t know what he had expected, but it certainly wasn’t an industrial warehouse. The walls were lined with sheets of metal, bolted every few meters. Huge concrete columns reached impossibly high, disappearing into an abyss that was the ceiling. The ground, however, was hard, packed earth, worn with what looked like thousands of footsteps raining down on it. Deimos had been pretty literal when saying it was an “underground” circus.</p>
<p>	“This, my darling boy, is the Underground Circus. We’re the ones tasked with taking the bodies the Circus up there collects,” it points towards the ceiling, “and making them into dolls like you. Our dolls are special, though! They’re meant to serve other entities instead of causing fear in the human world. It’s why we have such wonderful solidarity with the other entity’s avatars.”</p>
<p>	Tim could only stare straight ahead as they walked through the space. Tents of various sizes were scattered around, as well as crates, barrels, and boxes that were stacked in seemingly random spots. Everything looked so disorganized, Tim wondered how they got anything done in such a hectic space. It reminded him faintly of Jon’s messy desk, but he quickly shoved the thought away. He couldn’t think about his friends, not now.</p>
<p>	They weren’t alone either. Milling about were dozens of figures, some jerked when they walked like Deimos; some looked to be as dazed as Tim felt, while a small minority moved and seemed to act like normal humans. Tim wanted to turn his head and get a better look at the people who weren’t so much as glancing at him, but he still wasn’t in control of his own body.</p>
<p>	He wondered if he’d ever be in control again. <br/>	“I was told to bring you to my boss as soon as you woke up, so that’s where we’re going now. The Boss sees over the production of everything, makes sure everything is running smoothly. I happen to be his right-hand man,” Deimos flicked a piece of hair- well, snake- behind their shoulder as if prideful of its accomplishment. </p>
<p>	“The Boss trusts me because I build the best dolls,” Deimos paused and turned around in one solid movement. Tim’s body stopped right in front of it, staring straight ahead into its chest. Deimos was taller than Tim, and it had to bend down to come face to face with him. It brushed Tim’s hair out of his face, and looked fondly at him.</p>
<p>	“You, dear, are my latest and greatest invention. I managed to bind your body to a Leitner, allowing me to change your form for whatever suits me, or our clients, best. The downside is, it’s usually painful. Sorry about your throat by the way. Ha!” Deimos laughed and righted itself and turned around, continuing to navigate through the maze of tents. Tim was already hopelessly lost, the layout was impossible to track and he had given up minutes ago.</p>
<p>	“Now, usually we rent out our dolls to various avatars or organizations- I usually call them cults- and that’s how we maintain a relatively peaceful relationship with other entities. However! You, my darling doll, are special. You’ll be saved for the most special jobs the Underground Circus has to offer!” Deimos stopped at a cross-section and scratched its head, as if in thought.</p>
<p>	“Hmm, which reminds me. If you are going to meet my boss, I’m going to have to have you seal the deal. In exchange for your friends’ safety, you’ll pledge your allegiance to us,” Deimos had turned back around to face Tim. He had the oddest sensation that he was being watched, but he didn’t know if it was the various non-humans or another outside force.</p>
<p>	“My friends would be safe? Jon, Martin, Sash- um, they would all be okay?” Tim’s voice cracked even as his face remained stagnant. If he expected some sort of reaction out of Deimos, he would have been disappointed. It only nodded as if the answer were obvious. Tim supposed that it would for the doll, but he also couldn’t imagine any kind of avatar actually having friends.</p>
<p>	He took a deep breath through his nose and tried to nod, but his head wouldn’t move. “Okay. I’ll agree,” He spat, lacing as much venom in his voice as he possibly could. The tone of voice didn’t seem to register with Deimos, however, and the smile that ran across its face made Tim cringe internally. It was freaky, and Tim wanted more than anything to just look away.</p>
<p>	Deimos resumed their expedition once again, its body bending in odd ways like a marionette who had been trapped in its own strings. It was hard to watch as Tim followed Deimos the rest of the way to their destination. </p>
<p>	They stopped in front of a tent, bigger than the majority that Tim had seen on his trek. The pattern was different here, a purple and yellow plaid that reminded Tim of Mardi Gras decorations, oddly enough. Deimos placed a hand on Tim’s right shoulder before sliding it up to cup his cheek. “Don’t be nervous, young one. The Boss will love you as soon as he sees you, just as I did,” a thumb stroked his cheek. Tim wanted to bite at it. “His name is Lynx Ravenfeather. Good luck!”</p>
<p>	With that, Deimos moved its hand from Tim’s cheek to his shoulder and pushed him through the open tent flap. He barely had time to register the memory that flashed in his head; Jon, sitting in his desk chair as Tim sat on top of his boss’ desk. Tim had just made an awful pun and Jon affectionately rolled his eyes at the joke.</p>
<p>	Tim felt like he couldn’t breathe. He barely could take in the sight of a desk in front of him. The entire room looked like an office; the walls weren’t made of the same materials of the tent, they were actual walls. There was real wood flooring beneath his feet. The fact that there seemed to be an entire actual office within a tent wasn’t the thing that shocked him the most; it was the decorations.</p>
<p>	It looked like Tim had walked straight into a knock-off Disney villain's lair, fit for someone with a name like ‘Lynx Ravenfeather’. There was a bearskin rug on the floor, along with several other taxidermied animals scattered throughout shelves around the room. A huge lemur sat on top of the mantel above the fireplace- a fireplace?- and Tim felt as it stared into his soul. </p>
<p>	Shelves lined some of the walls, holding contents that Tim could barely see in the dim light of the room. He could make out dozens of glass jars filled with various colored liquids. He couldn’t make out much, but the things he thought he could see made his stomach turn; he saw various human body parts. Ears, hands, feet, even a couple of brains. Tim wanted so badly to look away but his head would not obey him. The static felt heavier now as he shifted his eyes towards another wall.</p>
<p>	It wasn’t any better. There were various amounts of bugs that had been pinned to the walls. Some were still moving, though their movements were jerky and convulsive, almost like they were running on a dying motor. Butterflies’ wings fluttered, beetles’ mandibles opened and snapped closed, and centipedes dozens of legs twitched in an inconsistent rhythm.  </p>
<p>	“It’s so… tacky,” Tim scoffs, sarcastic despite the circumstances. His throat had stopped hurting at this point, he realized. He was about to call out into the room when he heard the sound of a door handle jiggling.</p>
<p>	A crack in the shape of a rectangle appeared in the wall opposite Tim. The wall swung outwards, becoming a door as Tim stared in disbelief. A figure walked through the door, shrouded in darkness, making it impossible for Tim to make out the face. The figure bulged in places, as if the suit it was wearing was a bit too small.</p>
<p>	“Tacky, you say? I happen to quite like what I’ve got going on. Hmm. You’ll settle into it eventually,” a deep, sultry voice said. “You must, as you’ll be in here quite often.”</p>
<p>	The figure stepped further into the room, the light from the fireplace illuminated the side of its face. It was a man, tall and muscular, wearing a blue suede suit. Tim saw that he was smiling, one that was all teeth. His hair was blonde, shaved closely on the sides, and left to grow on the top. His face was all angles; something Tim could appreciate aesthetically but wouldn’t go for himself.</p>
<p>	The other half of his face was clouded in shadow as the man stepped towards Tim. More light hit his face as he turned his head, and Tim saw a long scar stretching from his forehead, across his eye, and over his mouth. </p>
<p>	It totally bumped him from like a rocky 6 right to a solid 8. Despite himself, Tim found this man attractive.</p>
<p>	The man closed the distance between them and stood in front of Tim, looking down. He brought up his right arm to slide his hand down Tim’s arm, shoulder to hand. He then took Tim’s hand in his own and brought it to his face, kissing it gently.</p>
<p>	“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Timothy. When Deimos had told me she had managed to retrieve your body in mostly one piece, I had grown increasingly excited to meet you,” the man, who Tim assumed was the boss, said. “I run this place, have for years. Most people call me The Boss, but you can call me Lynx.”</p>
<p>	To punctuate his sentence, Lynx winked at Tim. He dropped Tim’s hand and moved over to the fireplace. “You can have a seat,” he said, and Tim’s body kicked into motion. It moved to the desk in the middle of the room and sat in the seat across from it. It was velveted and soft, Tim hadn’t realized just how much he would miss sitting in comfortable chairs now.</p>
<p>	Lynx turned back towards Tim and stared at him for a long moment. Tim knew that in any other circumstance, he might be blushing. He didn’t even know if he could anymore.</p>
<p>	“God, you’re beautiful,” he started, running and hand through his hair. “I’ve had my eye on you awhile, wanting to steal you away from that place so that I could turn you into one of my magnificent dolls. But alas, because of your Archivist and his little pets, you were brainwashed. You’d never have come to me willingly.</p>
<p>	“I could have given you everything. But you had to attack our sister circus. So now your body is not your own, but just as beautiful. It looks fully human, and I have Deimos to thank for that,” Lynx’s voice was smooth, though it sounded like it was a lot more human than Deimos’. Tim wondered if Lynx was a doll as well, or another Stranger avatar, but he couldn’t tell. </p>
<p>	“W-what do you want with me?” Tim asked, internally cringing at how his voice stuttered. He didn’t want Lynx to notice how scared he was. His facial features wouldn’t show his emotions, but his voice still seemed capable of it. Although he hated to admit it, it was a relief. There were still parts of him that were human, he thought. He hoped.</p>
<p>	“God, you’re beautiful,” Lynx said again, ignoring Tim’s question. “Your beauty should have been seen by the whole world. Now, because of them, you’re just a puppet.”</p>
<p>	Tim wanted to scream. He wanted to tell him that it wasn’t Jon’s fault, not really. The memory of their argument flashed across his vision. He opened his mouth and shifted his tongue in between his teeth and then bit down. He couldn’t have the memory of him swearing at Jon passing through his head right now. He would break, and he needed to see them again. He needed to see his friends again.</p>
<p>	“Hello?” Tim snapped out of his reverie when Lynx waved a hand in front of his face. “Even if your face is still, I can still see that distant look in your eyes,” he said, pulling a pocket watch out of his suit jacket and popping it open, reading the time. </p>
<p>“Shit,” he muttered, stuffing the watch back in its place. “Our ride will be here soon. I’m aware Deimos probably already filled you in, but I am going to reiterate. If you do not cooperate with us and be a good little dolly, we won’t hesitate to go after your friends. God knows they aren’t going to come back for you. They think you’re dead, and your little Archivist isn’t that far behind.”</p>
<p>He hooked one finger under Tim’s chin and tilted his head up. “I know you’ll be a good boy. Now sleep.”</p>
<p>	Tim felt the fire in his throat again before the corners of his vision began to fade to black. Lynx dropped his hand from beneath Tim’s chin and placed it behind his back. Just as Tim lost his consciousness, Lynx grinned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>********</p>
<p>	When Tim awoke, he realized that he’s in another tent, this one smaller than the last one he had awoken in. There is no one else in the room; at least, he can’t see anyone above him and the tent is small enough that he can see the walls in his peripheral vision. </p>
<p>	This gave him time to think. Time to think that he had barely had when he was with Deimos or Lynx. An image of Jon flashed across his vision, smiling while bringing a mug full of lukewarm tea to his lips. He pictured Martin eating ice cream in the office, a couple of drops of it sticking to the corners of his mouth.</p>
<p>	He thought about Basira, who he had barely known, but still felt sorry that she got trapped in the Archives. Daisy, who had tried to help the rest of them take down the circus. Even Elias crossed his mind. He had been the worst boss in the history of bosses, but at least he had let everyone keep their free will. He may have been a murdering monster, but he was a fair employer.</p>
<p>	Tim’s cheeks felt cool. Even though he couldn’t reach up his hand to make sure, he knew he was crying. He blinked, his mind not even registering that that blinking was something he couldn’t do, yet he had just done it. He was too shocked at his tears. Deimos had kept his tear ducts in. It felt like a punch to the face.</p>
<p>	Tim tried again to move, willing any of his various limbs to respond to the screaming coming from his brain. He sat there for what he thought could have been seconds or even hours, begging his body to respond to him. </p>
<p>	It was slight. If Tim hadn’t had his bodily autonomy taken away from him, he probably wouldn’t have noticed it. The tip of his pinkie had moved, ever so slightly bending from where it rested at his side. </p>
<p>	Suddenly light floods the room as the tent flap is lifted and Tim’s head snaps to the side. He watched idly as Lynx stepped into the tent, dressed now in a red velvet suit that seems just a bit too big for him. He looked down and Tim and smiled before hiking up his sleeve and looking at what Tim presumed to be a wristwatch. Lynx only nodded curtly before putting his arm back down. </p>
<p>	“We’re going on a trip, Timothy,” he said. “Consider it a welcoming gift.”</p>
<p>	He crossed the small tent and commanded Tim to get up. His movement was less fluid, more human,  unlike the stiff motion he’d had before. Lynx cocked a finger at Tim and feigned a “come here” motion, which prompted Tim to follow him out of the tent. </p>
<p>	He again noticed that his movements felt more normal, natural, as if he were a regular human in charge of his own motion. He notices Lynx in front of him holding a book close to his side, and Tim made the connection. He was terrified of the thought that the book could make him seem human in every way possible and still leave Tim trapped inside the cage of his own mind.</p>
<p>	Lynx walks across a gravel parking lot towards a limo, taking big strides that Tim was matching easily. Lynx opened the door to the back of the limo and slipped inside, motioning for Tim to follow him. When he sat down on the back seat next to Lynx, Tim got a brief glimpse at the driver through a small window.</p>
<p>	The figure was oddly still and stiff. Tim wondered if the driver was also a doll, stuck in the same position he was. He was pulled out of his head again when Lynx brought an arm down across Tim’s shoulders and had seemingly pulled a flask out of nowhere. Then he began to speak.</p>
<p>	“My mother was taken when I was a child. She had been replaced by someone I’d never seen before, who was claiming that she was the same mother I’d always had. Everyone around me seemed fooled by this... imposter, so that’s when I finally made the connection that humans weren’t the only creatures in this world. And so... I confronted the thing. I managed to bind it down while it slept and threatened to kill it if it didn’t explain itself.”</p>
<p>	Tim realized that Lynx was just playing into the villain role. He was explaining his troubled backstory as to why he had become the bad guy, and Tim had no idea how to react. He just kept listening in silent horror as Lynx continued after taking a swig from his flask.</p>
<p>“I willingly joined the circus, becoming an avatar of The Stranger, and it only took me a few years to gain the title of Ring Leader. I willingly let I Do Not Know You take me as one of its vessels and it only made me stronger. I just wanted to let you know that I am more capable of anything you may have swimming around in that pretty little head of yours. I won’t hesitate on my promise to kill your friends if you do so happen to step out of line.</p>
<p>“The main Circus may be in shambles right now, but Underground, we’re stronger than ever. We have enough dolls to send this entire city into hysterics, feeding our master for centuries. But we’re smart, so we wait and we bide our time,” he scooted closer to Tim, knocking their knees together.</p>
<p>“You have no time left, my boy. Yours ran out the minute you decided to sabotage all we held near and dear. And this is your punishment. You get no sweet release of Hell. Instead, you’re stuck here, with me, barely alive. My precious porcelain doll.”</p>
<p>He grabbed Tim’s chin and leaned in close. “There’s a reason I kept you conscious for all of this. Have you figured it out yet?” </p>
<p>	Lynx’s question was laced with venom, and Tim is confused as to what he means. It isn’t until Lynx rolls his eyes and jerks his hand to the side, bringing Tim’s face along with it. Outside the window was a tall building that Tim almost instantly recognized.</p>
<p>	It was a hospital; one he had been to on many occasions, from broken bones to simple doctor visits. This reveal doesn’t answer any of Tim’s questions, however, and he shoved the thought out of his head as Lynx crawled out of the car and into the sunlight. He would only stress himself out more than he already was. Lynx whistled and pointed at the ground, and Tim’s body snapped into action. His left hand braced against the frame of the door as he stepped out of the car, so human in nature, and yet Tim knew that he wasn’t the one who willed it there.</p>
<p>	“Act natural,” Lynx harshly whispers. Tim questions why he would say this when Tim has no control over what he does, yet feels his body moving. As he stands there, he feels his face relaxing and his arms moving to place his hands in his pockets. His hip pops out as he balances most of his weight on one foot. </p>
<p>	If anyone was looking at him, there would have been no grounds for suspicion that he was anything other than mundane. Being in a public setting, seeing people mill about, and yet not being able to scream for help, or do anything was terrifying. He could see Lynx smiling and Tim felt rage bubble up inside him. How was this fucking funny?</p>
<p>	As the pair walked the short distance to the hospital entrance and stepped inside, Tim could only try to communicate with his eyes. It was strenuous and painful, but he wanted to try and signal for help any way he could. He knew it probably wasn’t going to work, but he had to try.</p>
<p>	As they reached the front desk, Lynx leaned on the counter and started to speak to the nurse that sat behind it. Tim stood directly behind and to the side of Lynx, and tried to listen to their conversation but found that he was unable to hear anything either of them was saying. The voices were muffled, almost as if someone was holding a pair of hands over his ears. The rest of the voices in the lobby, however, were crystal clear.</p>
<p>	He could hear a woman softly sobbing; a presumed couple in a heated debate about insurance. Tim tried to focus on Lynx and what he was saying, where he might be taking Tim. But he had no luck, so he sat there frustrated. His anger towards Lynx was only growing the more time he had to actually process his emotions. </p>
<p>	After he had woken up the first time, he had been in such a state of shock that all his emotions had been dulled. It must have been a dream; a nightmare. Yet that shock was gone now, and all that was left was the raw, terrible emotions he hadn’t been able to feel before.</p>
<p>	Tim had been so trapped in his thoughts that he hadn’t realized they were moving. His surroundings came back into focus, and he found Lynx leading him through various hospital hallways, some of which Tim recognized. Lynx mumbled quietly to himself whenever they hit a dead end, and traced his steps until he got to a place he recognized again. Tim suspected that he was doing it on purpose so that Tim couldn’t track where they were going.</p>
<p>	After a few minutes of wandering, they reached a door that seemed out of place amongst the others. As the pair reached it, Tim read the sign: “Room 504: Jonathan Sims.”</p>
<p>	Tim blanched at the name. A million questions he didn’t know if he would get the answer to rushed through his head. What the hell was Jon doing in the hospital? Was he okay? What happened to the archive assistants? What the fuck was going on?</p>
<p>	When Lynx stepped into the room, Tim followed him and looked upon the figure in the hospital bed. It was Jon, not that Tim had expected anyone else. He was surrounded by various beeping machines and wires, clear vinyl tubes that wound around him. He was hard to look at, but those weren’t the worst things.</p>
<p>	Jon’s arms lay resting on top of the covers at his sides. Parts of his skin were covered in dark red patches, others looked like giant scabs. Burns, Tim realized. Jon was most likely covered in various burns from head to toe due to the explosion. Once again, Tim feels cool wetness slide down his cheeks. </p>
<p>	Those tears are only made worse when Tim sees a vase sitting on the bedside table. It was filled with roses mixed with lilies, all varying in colors. He could see a card attached to the vase, and he could just only make out the words “From Martin” scribbled quickly on it. The tears were spilling faster now, though he knew his face held the same relaxed expression as before. He could feel Lynx’s eyes boring into him.</p>
<p>	“You may speak freely,” Lynx said, and once again Tim feels the fire rise in his throat. The pain is duller than it was the first time, yet he still has the knee-jerk reaction to want to grab his throat. The pain subsides faster this time, and when Tim opens his mouth to speak, he can only sob. He stands there, his face the picture of calm, his violent sobs and tears being the only indicator that he’s upset. </p>
<p>	“Jon…” Tim croaked, his friend’s name being the only thing he can say. Anger rises in Tim again as he hears Lynx chuckle. Tim can’t turn his head to face the man, he’s stuck staring at a vulnerable Jon. He wants to scream but knows that Lynx won’t allow such a thing that could alert other people. </p>
<p>	“Your friend is like this because of you,” Lynx spits. “If you hadn’t been so reckless during your little ‘mission’, your little Archivist wouldn’t be like this. You wouldn’t be like this. All your efforts were for naught.”</p>
<p>	He moves over towards Jon’s bedside table and leans on it, carelessly pushing the vase of flowers towards the edge. Tim gasped as he thought the vase was going to fall, but Lynx caught at it before it did, placing it on the floor at his feet. </p>
<p>	“Why... did you bring me here?” Tim’s voice was rough as he asked the question, eyes boring into Lynx.</p>
<p>	“Oh, I don’t know,” Lynx threw his hands in the air. “Why would I threaten violence on your friends and then show you just how truly vulnerable your friends really are? Your Archivist is helpless right now, stuck in a loop of his own terror that he’s caused. It would be easy to end his life right now, and you’d be little help to him in the state you’re in. This, my boy, is a power play. Now shut up.”</p>
<p>	Again, Tim is choking and there isn’t anything he can do about his. His throat feels raw, even the steady breath coming in and out of his mouth is enough to scratch and claw at his throat. The tears have dried and Tim can feel the salt residue on his cheeks and neck and wishes more than anything to be able to wipe it away.</p>
<p>	The monkey paw curls as Lynx gets up off the nightstand and puts the vase back in its place. He leans over Jon and pushes hair away from his forehead, leaning down to plant a kiss on his forehead. The action makes Tim sick, made worse by Lynx walking over to him and throwing an arm over his shoulders.</p>
<p>	Lynx leads Tim out of Jon’s room and back into the maze of hospital hallways. This time, there are people milling about when they get close to the front desk. Lynx leans close and pretends to whisper into Tim’s ear while using his sleeve to wipe away Tim’s tears.</p>
<p>	Other people look on in mock pity, and Tim realizes what Lynx is doing. He’s pretending to comfort Tim, to justify why he might be crying. Tim’s stomach curls as his own hand moved to his face to wipe away what Lynx missed. His head tucked into Lynx’s neck as if he was embarrassed to cry in front of other people.</p>
<p>	Tim’s teeth ground together from frustration as they walked out of the front doors to the hospital and into the light. The limo was already waiting for them outside and Lynx unhooked his arm and opened the door for Tim, who crouched inside. Lynx followed him and closed the door, but instead of sitting beside Tim, he moved down the car to the farther seats. He sat down and pulled out another flask, downing almost all of it. </p>
<p>	The ride back was silent as Lynx drank flask after flask of booze, staring out the window. Tim’s mind drifted back to Jon in the hospital bed, in critical condition because of something Tim did. He was the one who had pressed the button on the detonator, the one who so selfishly ran into danger because he thought he had to be a martyr. For his brother. For himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>********</p>
<p>	When the car stops, they aren’t at the same compound they were at before. Instead, they were parked in front of a house that Tim didn’t recognize. </p>
<p>	“Come on, follow me. There’s someone I want you to meet,” Lynx says, disgust lacing his voice. Tim can’t help but think that the person he’s about to meet isn’t on Lynx’s nice list. He doesn’t know whether that should scare him or not, but he doesn’t have time to dwell on that before Lynx is getting out of the car and Tim is following him. </p>
<p>	The pair walk to the house, but take a turn and follow a path that brings them around the back of the house. When they enter the backyard, Tim sees a shed that looks as if it hasn’t been touched for many years. Various flora covers the walls of it, making a distinct pattern that Tim could have sworn he had seen before, but he couldn’t quite place.</p>
<p>	When Lynx opened the door to the shed, Tim had expected to see a small room filled with various items all covered in spider webs and dust. He instead sees a staircase that descends down into a darkness so thick, Tim could have sworn they lead straight to Hell.</p>
<p>	“Go,” Lynx says, calmly extending his arm towards the staircase. Tim begins to walk down the steps, and his mind can’t help but wonder. He wondered if this is going to be the place where he dies. Everyone at the Archives will think he died in the explosion, but his death would be much less heroic. He was going to die in a fucking murder shed. </p>
<p>	As Tim continues to descend for what feels like ages, he catches a glimpse of light that only grows brighter the further down he goes. When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he saw where the light source had been coming from; the staircase opened into a small room with various torches hanging on the walls. </p>
<p>	The ground, walls, and ceiling were all packed earth as if someone had dug out this space centuries ago. Lynx wasn’t far behind, Tim heard his heavy footsteps as he walked into the room. He patted Tim on the back before walking over to one of the walls and grabbing a torch. He walked to the middle of the room and Tim saw a figure hunched over in a chair.</p>
<p>	The light from the torches harshly illuminated what looked to be a man sitting in a chair. His wrists were tied to the armrests, his torso bound to the back of the chair with rope. He had a bloody piece of cloth tied around his head as a makeshift gag. Tim thought the person might be dead, he certainly looked that way, but quickly was shown otherwise when Lynx used his free hand to pull up the man’s head by his hair.</p>
<p>	The man’s head lolled back, his eyes wild. The cloth in his mouth was soaked with sweat, nearly as much as his face. His hair looked sticky and tangled as if he had been down here awhile. Tim had to wonder just who this guy was and why Lynx had wanted Tim to meet him. </p>
<p>	“This, my boy,” Tim shivered at the nickname, “is someone who’s been sticking his nose a little too much into the business of the Underground Circus. I’d like you to kill him please.” Lynx walked over to Tim and placed something in his hand. A cold smile ran across his face and Tim felt like he was going to vomit. Tim grasped the object, a grip slipping easily into his grasp as if it was something he’d dealt with hundreds of times. Lynx grabbed Tim’s arm and forced it up and into his field of vision. The sight made his brain freeze; he was holding a gun.</p>
<p>	Tim internally flinched as he heard the figure in the chair scream, though it was muffled by the gag that had been crudely tied around his head. The man pulled hard at the rope tying his wrists and torso to the chair as Tim’s lifeless body walked up to him. Tim mirrored Lynx and grabbed the man by the hair to force him to look up. Tim was screaming internally for his body to stop. This was all happening so quickly, he didn’t want to be a murderer-</p>
<p>	Just as Tim placed the barrel of the gun on the man’s forehead, Lynx whistled. “At ease,” Lynx said, and Tim’s body immediately became limp and fell to the floor. Tim could only watch as Lynx untied the man in the chair who stood and rubbed at his wrists.</p>
<p>	“I’ll think he’ll be perfect for the job. Those lifeless eyes definitely gave me a chill,” the man said, his voice had a wicked edge to it.</p>
<p>	“My darling Deimos certainly did a good job him. Gotta admit, he holds a special place in my heart. Stand up, soldier,” Lynx barked the last words.</p>
<p>	Before Tim had time to think about what just happened, his body snapped upright, almost defying gravity in the process. His arms snapped to his sides and he felt incredibly vulnerable. Lynx and this man seemed to be friends, so why had he asked Tim to kill him? He hated having so many questions and not being able to even ask them, let alone get any answers.</p>
<p>	“Timothy, I’d like you to meet Todd Delarosa. He’s what you might call my right-hand man. He didn’t fully believe me when I told him about your capabilities, so he wanted me to run a little test. Isn’t that right?” said Lynx. Tim felt anger bubble up in his gut from Lynx’s use of his full first name</p>
<p>	“What a beautiful doll...” Todd said, almost absentmindedly as he walked over to Tim. He reached out a hand and cupped Tim’s jaw, caressing his skin. Tim wanted more than anything to smack the man’s hand away, but he was stuck helpless as Todd leaned next to Tim’s ear.</p>
<p>	“You’ll be perfect for what I need,” he said, kissing Tim on the cheek lightly before pulling back and walking back over to Lynx. “The money will be transferred to your account after the job is finished. I suspect that will be soon enough,” Todd said to Lynx. Lynx nodded before pulling out his phone and pushing a few buttons. He brought the phone up to his face and began speaking. Much to Tim’s dismay, these words were muffled as well.</p>
<p>	He pulled the mouthpiece away from his face and turned towards Tim. “Come,” he barked. Every order sounded like it was being said by a military commander from the cheesy WWII movies that Tim and Jon used to watch. As Tim’s body blindly followed after Lynx, his mind was on Jon’s annoyed expression, pointing out all the historically inaccurate parts of the various films.</p>
<p>	When they reached the top of the stairs, Tim wished he could squint against the harsh sunlight. The sun was setting and shone directly into his eyes. He felt sick as the sun beat down on him, and even worse once he finally got a proper look at Todd.</p>
<p>	Todd was staring at Tim as if he were a collector’s item; his eyes looked hungry as he scratched his arms up and down. From where the fabric of his suit rode up on his arms, Tim could see the rings of red, irritated skin on Todd’s wrists. His suit was a blue-gray, caked in mud and torn in various places. His hair was wild, and even through the mud, Tim could see that it was bright orange. Tim felt a pang in his heart when he realized the hair reminded him of Martin.</p>
<p>	“All right, everything should be all ready to go. I expect my toy back in one piece, and so help me Stranger, if you break or fuck his face up, I will have you killed myself.” Lynx’s voice was low and threatening, and it took Tim a second to realize that Lynx was talking about him.</p>
<p>	Lynx’s words only reminded him that he was an object now; a toy to be used and abused and made to do whatever the highest bidder commanded. Todd had been staring at Tim, seeing him as an object because that’s literally what he thought Tim was. If Tim could shudder anymore, he would have.</p>
<p>	The thought went straight to his stomach and he felt as it churned. This feeling was new; he hadn’t had a nervous stomach ache since he’d been human, despite everything going on. He didn’t have long to dwell on it as the next few minutes rushed by, with Todd corralling Tim into a similar yet smalled limo that had been parked down the street.</p>
<p>	When Tim was ordered to hop inside, he did so quickly, the smell coming from the cab hitting his nose like a truck. It made the feeling in his gut worsen.</p>
<p>	“So, your name is Tim correct? You got a last name? Or- I guess, did you? Have one? When you were still human?” Todd was fidgeting with the holes in his jacket, running the material through his fingers. His hands were caked with dirt and what looked like dried blood, and Tim idly wondered when the last time this guy had taken a shower was.</p>
<p>	He tried to speak, yet his throat still felt swollen. Lynx had taken away his ability to speak and hadn’t given it back. </p>
<p>	“Oh, right. I almost forgot. You can speak freely,” Todd said, his lips curling upwards into a smirk. Tim noticed the more times he was told to speak or shut up, the less pain came from the transformation. The lack of pain, however, didn’t dull his anger in the slightest. He gasps for breath and growls, his teeth grinding together as he stares at Todd.</p>
<p>	“My name. My name is Timothy Stoker. I’m still human, you rotting piece of garbage,” Tim spat. The rage in his gut was spilling over, venom lacing his voice as he directed all his anger towards this man. He wasn’t a toy to be played or messed with; he was a fucking human being who’d been dealt the wrong hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“That’s cute. You know, it truly is a shame that you would never have joined the Circus willingly. You’re so cute, you could have been such a cunning businessman.” Todd said as he leaned towards Tim. He raked a finger under Tim’s jaw, “I would love to have gotten to know you when you were human.”</p>
<p>	“Eat shit,” Tim spits, and again he can feel his pinky twitching as he tries to get any part of his body to respond. He wants more than anything to deck Todd across the face and jump out of the car. He doesn’t know where he is, but that would never stop him from getting back to his friends. </p>
<p>	Tim’s thoughts are halted when he sees Todd’s eyes flash with anger. He watches as Todd brings the hand that was under his chin and lifts it, curling it into a fist. Tim thinks for a second that Todd is actually going to hit him, but is relieved when he lowers his arm.</p>
<p>	“Shut up,” Todd spits, and Tim is choking. His body doesn’t move as Todd shifts so that he’s lying horizontally on the seat, his legs thrown over Tim. </p>
<p>	Todd begins muttering to himself, staring at Tim the entire car ride. Tim can’t make out what he was saying, but he assumed that it was disgusting and he’d have been more disturbed to hear it anyways. </p>
<p>********</p>
<p>	When the car finally came to a halt, Tim could see a large warehouse out of the corner of his eye. It looked old and rusted and the vines that ran along it had the same kind of pattern as the shed. A lightbulb went off in his head when he realized that it was the same kind of pattern that Michael Crew was described as having; a Lichtenberg figure.</p>
<p>	Tim wondered if they were meeting a Vast avatar, or even whether Todd himself was an avatar of the Vast. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Todd ordered him out of the car and into the open space. They were surrounded by trees on all sides. Tim knew he could outrun Todd, if only he had the autonomy to.</p>
<p>	The pair made their way over to the warehouse. Todd shouldered the door open, it’s hinges grinding heavily against each other. The sound was attacking Tim’s ears, and he wanted more than anything to be able to cover his ears, but that wasn’t an option anymore. He was fully starting to lose hope that his friends were ever coming back for him. He was starting to think he’d never get control over his body ever again.</p>
<p>	The warehouse was lined with rows and rows of boxes and barrels, each looking as if it had been sitting in this place for the better part of the past century. Tim felt his nose as it began to tickle, and was surprised to find he still had the ability to sneeze. Todd looked back to him with an expression of curiosity before resuming his walk towards an unknown destination<br/>“Didn’t know you were still able to do that. Guess I’ll have to have a talk with Lynx about it. Have you been on the operating table yet? Best feeling of my life...” Todd’s voice went out of focus as Tim’s brain focused on two words.</p>
<p>	‘Operating table’? What the hell did that mean, and why was Todd so worried about a sneeze? Sneezing and pinky twitching isn’t going to help him much in terms of breaking out of his doll prison and making his way back to the Archives. </p>
<p>	Todd stopped suddenly, and if Tim had still had his normal body, he would have certainly run into the man. But this wasn’t his body anymore, so every movement he made was perfectly calculated by a brain that wasn’t his own.</p>
<p>	Tim saw around Todd, who was standing in front of something covered in a large tarp. The object was huge, protruding every which way from under the piece of cloth. Todd stepped forward and grabbed a handful of the material and yanked hard, sending up a cloud of dust that settled quickly.</p>
<p>	Tim felt the static in his nose again but thought best to ignore it; there was no reason to rouse Todd’s suspicions anymore than he already had. His nostrils twitched but he did his best to ignore it as Todd tossed the tarp to the side, brushing his hands together in a mock effort to get rid of the dust.</p>
<p>	What laid before them was a desk- a comedically large one at that. A chair that matched the size of the desk sat behind it, though Tim wasn’t able to see if anything sat in said chair. He watched as Todd walked up to the desk, running two fingers along one of the grooves. When his hand came away, no dust clung to his fingers. He smiled to himself.</p>
<p>	“This is the first of two tasks I need you for. This one is easy! I just need you to destroy this Stranger artifact for me. You can probably find various weapons that will do the job around here. Go wild,” Todd says, making a grand gesture towards the rest of the warehouse.</p>
<p>	Tim’s body is kicked into high gear, moving around to search the various crates, boxes, and barrels that scatter the warehouse floor. He doesn’t manage to find weapons there, instead finding what he believed to be various artifacts for different entities. He swore he could feel one calling to him that looked like it might be connected to the eye, but his body didn’t let him linger.</p>
<p>	Finally, after an extended time searching, Tim managed to find a large ax sitting in the middle of a clearing in the warehouse. He was suddenly aware of the vastness of this odd space; the shadows seem darker than they should be, the boxes and landmarks further away than they were before. His body grabbed bent down to grab the ax and quickly began walking towards where Todd was, he was thankful that it didn’t linger.</p>
<p>	As Tim’s body lead him back towards the desk, he found himself wondering why Todd wanted him to destroy an artifact of the Stranger; wouldn’t that just be hurting the entity he was supposedly allied with? His body doesn’t slow, however much his mind races.</p>
<p>	His attention is pulled back to the physical world when Tim notices that he wasn’t back to Todd yet, though he knew he should have been by that point. The crates and various items that were scatted seemed to stretch out impossibly before him, growing and moving farther away from him. </p>
<p>	He steels his mind before the panic sets in, opting to try and rationalize the bizarre sights. He wanted to scream, to try and run and catch up to everything that is slipping away from him, but it’s moving too fast, he can’t catch up, he’s going to be stuck in this loop forever-</p>
<p>	“Hello?” Tim hears Todd call. “Oh, right. I almost forgot about the properties of this place,” Tim’s body stops and his mind calms as Todd walks into his field of vision, impossibly fast. His whole body stretched as if it was warping through Tim; the sight made Tim feel sick.</p>
<p>	“This is kind of my place,” Todd begins. “You’ll never believe how many teenagers wander into these woods and stumble across this warehouse. So... my God helped me make it into a place where I can trap these kids forever. Wandering constantly, endlessly through ever-growing spaces as they slowly begin to lose their minds. It’s quite fascinating! </p>
<p>	“I didn’t know whether you would get caught up in it though, considering you’re not human anymore. Oh well,” Todd rambles, his words sending phantom shivers up Tim’s spine. Tim felt as his hands wrapped more tightly around the ax, though it didn’t register through the fear he felt towards Todd in that moment.</p>
<p>	Todd grabbed Tim’s wrist and spun on his heel, slowly stalking back to where they had been before. The arm that Todd grabbed had automatically let go of its hold on the ax, but Tim’s other arm seemed to carry the weight of the ax just fine on its own. Tim guessed that one of the “perks” of becoming a doll was increased strength, but he had a bitter taste in his mouth at the thought of the Circus having done him any kind of favor.</p>
<p>	The walk back was quick, quicker than Tim had expected it to be. His body immediately kicked into motion when he was close enough to the desk. His body lifted the ax up over his head while he’s still facing Tood. For a moment, Tim thought that Todd was going to be the one hit, but at the last second, his body turned and dug the ax deep into the soft wood of the desk.</p>
<p>	When Tim’s body lifts the ax to bring it back down, he caught a glimpse of the blade. The head of the ax was rusted and dull, and Tim realized that the ax should barely be doing any damage. However, as he brought the ax down over and over again, he felt the muscles all over his body flex. Part of the process of becoming a doll must mean increasing muscle mass. </p>
<p>	Still, even with his increased strength, it still takes hours for him to fully break the desk down enough for Todd to be happy. Todd had watched Tim hack away at the desk for hours, whistling the children’s tune “London Bridge is Falling Down.” He had started the tune quietly, growing increasingly louder and more out of tune the more time passed. </p>
<p>	Tim was relieved when his body finally stopped hacking. His instinct was to wipe the sweat off his forehead, but he didn’t feel any sweat dripping down his face. He didn’t feel hot or uncomfortable like he might when doing a grueling task like that one he had accomplished. Bizarre, he thought, that Deimos had taken away his ability to sweat, but allowed him the ability to cry. It was cruel.</p>
<p>	Todd’s whistling halted when Tim set the ax down on the ground and leaned on it, looking expectantly at the man. Todd brought a hand up to his mouth and started chewing on his thumbnail, a habit Tim was disgusted by. He watched as the filthy man came up to examine the ruins of the desk, eyes darting around the pile, looking for something Tim couldn’t see. Todd sighed.</p>
<p>	“That was really impressive, actually. I didn’t know if you were going to be able to do that,” Todd mumbles, confusing Tim more. Todd only stared blankly down at the mess, sighing again before picking up the discarded tarp. He haphazardly threw it back over the demolished desk, leaving various chunks and splinters stick out the sides. </p>
<p>	Todd spun on his heel and began to sulk back towards the door. Tim watched as he navigated the scattered debris well until he was out of sight and Tim was alone. He hadn’t been given an order, so his body remained stagnant in his leaning position. He felt a cold fear gripping his heart, a freezing hand devoid of all the warmth of a sound body.</p>
<p>	If remaining here was Tim’s second task, it was nothing more than a cruel joke. To remain, unable to move, trapped inside the cage that rested behind his eyes. Was this a test of will? A game? </p>
<p>	He took a deep breath in through his nose and his mind was distracted as his nose began to tickle. He felt the familiar yet unpleasant pressure build up behind his face as he sneezed. His body righted itself in the process, his spine as straight and true as an arrow. </p>
<p>	Tim sighed out of his nose, a gesture that echoed off the surfaces scattered around him. If he’s going to be stuck in this warehouse for however long, he might as well attempt to gain more control over his digits and limbs. </p>
<p>	He starts with his pinky. It took him a few tries, but soon he was able to bend it using all three digits. He sat there for a few minutes, furling and unfurling the tiny ginger as he tried to calm his breathing. He couldn’t get too hopeful, not yet, not when there was so much at stake if he was let down. </p>
<p>	A hope he tried to tamper down flooded through his veins. He closed his eyes but almost immediately regretted it. A face flashed across the darkness behind his eyelids; Sasha- the real Sasha. </p>
<p>	“I’m unforgettable,” she had said. If only Tim knew. He doesn’t know what he could have done differently, but he could have done something. He could have done fucking anything, anything to protect that smile he adored so dearly. But he hadn’t, and she slipped out of his grasp. She was gone, and Tim had to accept that, and he had to focus on the people that were still alive. Jon. Martin. Melanie. Basira. Bloody hell, even Elias. They needed him. He needed them.</p>
<p>	Thinking of his friends held the opposite effect than what it previously had; Tim was calm, his mind clear. If he wasn’t going to get out of this for himself, he was going to do it for the people he had grown to love, despite their flaws. He finally allowed himself to think about everyone he had known at the archives. He allowed himself to feel his love for them and to let them be his strength. </p>
<p>	He wiggled his toes, a task he found to be shockingly easy. Next, he tried his fingers. He took a deep breath against the pressure in his chest as his fingers curled inward and formed a fist. Tim barely registered the clammer of the ax hitting the floor, he was too busy trying to calm his nerves and focus on what was most important; getting his body back.</p>
<p>	He relaxes and attempts to speak. He pushes his eyelids harder together in concentration as he struggles to push air over his vocal cords. Just as he loses hope, he hears it; the quietest of hums echoed around his skull, sounding to Tim like the bells of the heaven he gave up believing in years ago.</p>
<p>	Abruptly, Tim heard the distant pounding of footsteps against concrete and halted all movement. It wasn’t until this moment that he became aware of the stickiness that coated his cheeks and neck; he had been crying, silently, while attempting to regain control. He tried to push the memories of Sasha out of his brain as Todd appeared from behind a pile of crates, half running.</p>
<p>	“Shit, I’m real sorry about that. Forgot that you wouldn’t follow me. With the whole, ya know, being a doll thing,” Todd stumbled over his words and scratched the back of his head. “Actually I don’t know why I’m even apologizing to you. Stupid, stupid, stupid!”</p>
<p>	Todd muttered something along the lines of ‘follow me’ before he resumed his barrage of insults against himself, accompanied by hitting himself in the head with his own hand. “I was halfway to the second part of your job when I realized I’d left the stupid tool I needed to actually do the job. Don’t want to have to get my hands dirty myself. Well, figuratively, at least,” Todd said, exiting the warehouse and quickly getting into the car, motioning for Tim to follow.</p>
<p>	“I know this probably doesn’t come as a surprise but I don’t really talk to many people. Or, dolls with the people’s brains still in them. I’ve been an avatar for as long as I can remember, living in woods and various abandoned buildings and leaving civilization behind so I... kind of forgot how to talk to other people and avatars,” Todd sighed and furrowed his brows, as if in deep thought. </p>
<p>	Todd made a noise of remembrance before reaching under his seat into a small concave compartment. The object he drew out was long and shone silver;  a revolver, with a phrase etched into the side that Tim couldn’t quite read. </p>
<p>	“This was given to me by Lynx, however many years back,” Todd started. “He doesn’t really know how to express emotion so he tends to give people expensive gifts as a way of expressing gratitude. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice, and I’m not the most sentimental person in the world either, but I have so many guns at this point that I have no idea what to do with them all,” Todd said, stroking the gun as if he enjoyed the texture of it beneath his hands. He paused, bringing the gun up to his face and looking down the barrel.</p>
<p>	“I think his mother getting replaced really affected him. He’s a big shot in the Underground Circus now, but that doesn’t wipe away the childhood trauma he endured. Oh, you also can’t tell him I’m telling you this. He’d probably kill me, in a literal sense,” he smiled quietly to himself, almost as if he was laughing at some inside joke that Tim didn’t get.</p>
<p>	“At least this one will get some use,” Todd flipped the gun over in his hand, holding the barrel and jutting the grip towards Tim. When Tim’s body didn’t react, Todd sighed. “Take it,” he whispered, leaning forward and extending his arm even more so that the gun was almost touching Tim’s chest. Without looking down, Tim’s arm came up and his hand wrapped around the grip.</p>
<p>	Tim’s brain was racing, he thought of all the implications that came with holding a weapon. If he was going to have to kill someone, he might officially lose his mind. If that happened, then there was no hope for him to regain control of himself and finding the others.</p>
<p>	“I hope you don’t get blood on you,” Todd said as he leaned back and bit his lip, his arms coming to rest on the back of the long seat. “You’re so pretty right now and, if you haven’t noticed, I’m not actually the best at cleaning up. Guess I’d have to talk to Deimos about it,” Todd muttered, seemingly to himself. “She gives me the creeps, though. The way she talks and walks and moves?” Todd made a noise of disgust before shivering. He brought his hand up to his mouth and started chewing on his thumbnail, and Tim wished more than anything that he could look away.</p>
<p>	Something clicked in Tim’s brain about Todd’s behavior; he looked nervous, almost as if he was worried about what was to come. Tim couldn’t imagine what horror he might face if an Avatar would be nervous about confronting it. Todd’s change in speech and behavior was making Tim’s stomach phantom ache.</p>
<p>	Tim was in the cage inside of his own mind. No matter how much he yelled or yanked at the bars, nothing would budge. He could only ask questions that would drive him mad with the certainty that he’d never get answers. He had started to build hope after what happened in the warehouse, but the feeling of dread at being disappointed weighed heavily in his stomach. </p>
<p>	Tim tore his attention away from himself and decided to focus on Todd. He wasn’t paying attention to Tim at all, instead opting to stare out the window while continuously biting through all his nails.</p>
<p>	Maybe he could fight this. Maybe, just maybe, he could summon the willpower he needs to break free of his stoic prison. He took a phantom deep breath, unsurprised when his chest failed to rise and fall. He focused on his hands feeling more than seeing the weapon. He could feel his hands tightened slightly on the gun. Eyes glued to Todd, still distracted, Tim attempted to tilt the gun towards him. </p>
<p>	Jon. A memory of the archivist slumped over his desk, drool running onto the pile of papers that sat on his desk passed through Tim’s head. He’d gotten to work early in an attempt to be able to leave before nightfall. On his way towards the kitchen, he passed the door to the Archives. It was cracked, soft light spilling out that revealed the sleepy Jon. His hair all messed up, glasses askew, a half-empty mug of tea sitting next to him that was probably ice cold by now.</p>
<p>	Tim entered the office and tapped the sleeping man’s shoulder. Tim could hear Jon’s voice, muffled and unintelligible through the droll and sleep. He was unmoving, so Tim smiled to himself as a thought passed through his head. Tim shoved Jon harder this time, sending him flying out of his chair and sprawling onto the ground.</p>
<p>	Tim felt himself smile at the memory. He’d laughed a lot that day, much to Jon’s annoyance. Martin had been all over Jon that day, making sure the scrawny guy was okay. Tim had been surprised for so long that the two never got together, or that Martin had never confessed. He thought of his friend’s smiles and longed to see them again. The Jane Prentiss attack had taken all of the joy that had once been held within the Institute. The Circus had ruined everything for him, he wasn’t going to let it destroy his friends too.</p>
<p>	Tim let love be his weapon as he gathered all of his willpower and turned the gun in his hand. He moved it slowly, hoping that Todd would remain distracted. His hand moved, centimeter by centimeter until the barrel pointed straight towards Todd’s chest.</p>
<p>	Tim took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.</p>
<p>********</p>
<p>	The next few minutes were a whirl of colors and lights and sounds that Tim couldn’t quite pick out. He remembered the sound of glass shattering, red soaked shards hitting the pavement below, and the vinyl of the seats. He still felt the slight motion of the limo continuing its course to an unknown destination. Tim didn’t recognize any of the surrounding areas that he could see from the windows, but he knew that he couldn’t see any people. </p>
<p>	The action of killing Todd sent Tim’s body into motion. Tim’s legs were moving, moving across the car to the door. His arms didn’t respond to his brain’s command to open. Open the fucking door!</p>
<p>	Tim felt his brain and his body at war with one another. His head screamed at his body to move, to jump the last hurdle he needed to escape the grasp of these people forever. He feels a pressure build in his throat, a low droning noise filling his head. He realized the sound was coming from him before he felt the white-hot pain of his throat being torn open, a primal scream being released from deep down inside of him. </p>
<p>	He kept screaming, loud and guttural, rage racking through his body as if he was a soldier running into battle. Tim’s arms were still stiff as he moved through the limo and crawled over Todd’s limp body. He didn’t stop to question whether Todd was truly dead or just in shock as Tim vaulted himself out of the car through the window.</p>
<p>	Tim felt the air in his lungs leave all at once as his back hit the road hard. He rolled, flipping over and over until he landed in the grass. He quickly sat up but stilled, his head turning in the direction of the limo. Almost out of sight, Tim waiting for it to turn back around. He waited for Todd to come barreling down the road, but it didn’t happen. </p>
<p>	“W-Where the bloody hell am I?” he muttered to himself, his throat feeling raw and torn. He tried to stand, his legs wobbled a bit before he felt he was steady. His arms sagged at his sides and he tried to lift them with little success. Tim sighed before he noticed the absence of the gun and looked back towards the road. He made his way over to where the gun laid, where it managed to have little damage.</p>
<p>	Tim willed his arms to move, to pick the only source of hope he had right now. He knelt on the ground and tried to calm his mind with little success. His arms remained rigid and unmoving, still trapped within the veil of the Stranger. Still trying to convince him that his body was still not his own. He closed his eyes. </p>
<p>	“I can’t do this anymore!” Martin shouted, flinging a mug to the floor. Pieces of it were scattered around the room and Tim watched as one flew up and hit Martin in the cheek. Tim felt guilty as he cleaned his friend, wiping up the blood that dripped slowly dripped down Martin’s face. He pushed down all the questions he wanted to ask, opting instead to just be there for his friend as Martin stained Tim’s favorite Hawaiian shirt. </p>
<p>	That had been the day for Tim when it had clicked. He didn’t just care for Sasha, he cared for all of them. They had lent their strength to him in his times of need just as he’d tried to do with them. They were idiots, the lot of them, but they were kind and supportive and offered him the most interesting job he’d ever had.</p>
<p>	Tim gasped when his arm shot out and grabbed the gun. He gripped it tightly as his body righted itself. He ran a hand through his hair and couldn’t help but smile at the familiar action; such an arbitrary action that he had taken for granted so many times before. His hair was most likely a mess and that upset him greatly; he missed his hair products.</p>
<p>	As Tim began to walk, he mentally checked each of his body parts. His movements were still stiff, but he was glad that his body responded to him again. He didn’t know where he was going or even how long it was going to take to get back to his friends, to his old life, but he was determined to.</p>
<p>********</p>
<p>	As Tim huddled more than walked, he gave up on trying to keep track of the time that passed.  There were no road markings that indicated where he was going, he was only following a pulling sensation that emanated from deep in his chest. Tim was a beaten dog who trailed behind its owner, waiting for that perfect moment to strike and get away.</p>
<p>	He didn’t have a clue as to whether he was being pulled towards the Circus or the Archives, but he’d had a lot of time to think about what he would do when he got to either. He would either get a chance to see his friends and tell them that he’s alive, or he’s going to get to kill the sons of bitches that did this to him. Both felt like good options.</p>
<p>	Tim’s hands itched with anticipation as he came to a realization. He must have been walking for hours, yet his body didn’t feel any amount of fatigue. He brought up a hand and wiped it across his forehead but no perspiration was left behind. He shoved the thought from his head, no point to be worried about sweat when he might very well be dead in a few hours. <br/>When Tim spotted a thick grove of trees, his heart raced with relief. He recognized a gnarly tree he had idly seen when they left the woods. He followed the two lines of beaten earth that indicated cars had been through here; the past was windy and long and finally opened up to the small clearing Tim witnessed before. The warehouse stood tall above him as Tim set his jaw. His mind was clear. His heart was set.</p>
<p>	He walked towards the building and slipped inside, tucking the gun into his back pocket. It took him a few minutes but he managed to find a canister of gasoline and a lighter. He proceeded to soak as much of the front of the building as he could; all the flammable crates and boxes were drenched, as well as the floor leading to the door. He struck the match on the box and dropped it, turning his back as soon as he did so. Tim wasn’t going to give Todd the satisfaction of watching his domain burn to the ground. It could go to hell with him.</p>
<p>********</p>
<p>	Tim shielded his eyes as the sun peaked over the horizon, idly grateful for the ability to do such a thing again. He had traveled all night, never slowing down before he finally made his way back to the Underground Circus. He could feel the phantom force pull him towards the ground, but with no way to get down in sight, Tim began to search the tents.</p>
<p>	Tim managed to find an elevator hidden in a tent surrounded by dozens of other smaller ones. He wasn’t hesitating anymore. He stepped inside and pushed the only button inside the small metal box. The ride down was quick, accompanied by stereotypical circus music that Tim wouldn’t have thought the Circus could have even gotten their hands on.</p>
<p>	“All they’re missing now are some shitty clown cars,” Tim muttered to himself, rapping a hand against the wood railing. Better safe than sorry.</p>
<p>	The elevator came to a stop and Tim reached behind him, pulling the revolver out of his pocket. He popped it open, counting the bullets. There were five still left in the chamber; he hoped that he wouldn’t have to use them all before he got to Lynx.</p>
<p>	The doors opened and the familiar sight of the Underground Circus filled his vision. He stepped out and looked behind him; the elevator had been built inside one of the huge concrete columns reaching into the abyss. He shook his head and forced himself to focus on the task in front of him. </p>
<p>	The pull was even stronger now, insistent and steady, a pulse not unlike a second heartbeat. It pulled him along the rows of tents and figures, None of which looked at him with any confusion or contempt. Tim felt shivers run down his back as he noticed some even seemed to smile wider when they saw the gun in his hand.</p>
<p>	As Tim strode forward, he could feel his eyebrows furrow as he finally let the feelings he’d been holding back for so long swell in his chest. Hope and determination flooded his veins, rage and revenge cleared his head and gave him his purpose.</p>
<p>	It only took a few minutes for Tim to reach Lynx’s tent; when the purple tent was visible, Tim began to run. He stopped only to lift the flap before he stepped inside. He took a few steps inside and looked around, distantly noting that the room looked the same as it had before, save for key detail; “The Boss” was already waiting for him this time.</p>
<p>	Lynx sat in the chair behind his desk, a large cigar held in one hand. Tim could tell that it was only for show, however, considering the thing wasn’t even lit. Deimos stood behind Lynx’s chair, arms draped around his neck in a lover’s embrace. Are they…? Tim wondered. </p>
<p>	“My darling boy! You’ve returned to us,” Deimos said as its arms wrapped tighter around Lynx’s throat. The snaked that made up its hair tangled with Lynx’s; an interweaving thread of Human and Stranger.</p>
<p>	“I see Todd sent you back with a gift. How is Todd, by the way?” Lynx asked, his eyebrow cocked. The hand that didn’t hold the cigar was hidden beneath the desk, and Tim wondered if Lynx was also branding a weapon. He took a deep breath and stared straight at Lynx. </p>
<p>	“Spread out in that stupid limo of his,” Tim remarked as he the gun up. His stance was wide, his feet planted solidly as to disperse the energy of the shot he might have to take. “You can join him if you want.”</p>
<p>	“There’s no need for violence, beautiful. Let’s just talk things out and we can come to an agreement. If you go down this path, I’ll have no choice but to remove every aspect of your humanity. I don’t think any of us want that,” Todd said. Deimos’ eyes flicked towards him, its eyebrows creasing, almost as if it was confused at Lynx’s words. It remained silent as Lynx put down his cigar and pulled out a drawer to his desk, retrieving a familiar book.</p>
<p>	“At ease,” Lynx says, but Tim’s body doesn’t collapse. He held his ground even as he felt the force from earlier pulling him to the ground. He wasn’t going to give up this fight; not here, not now. There are people counting on him, even if they don’t know it.</p>
<p>	Lynx sighed and flipped open the book. Tim watched as he scanned through pages until he got the one he needed. He started to chant and Tim felt his knees buckle. His arms came out to cushion his fall, the gun flew out of his grip and skidded across the floor. As he laid there, knelt over and breathing heavily against the words of the chant, his vision faded to black.</p>
<p>	“Tim, c’mon!” Sasha yelled, trying to snatch away the candy that Tim had stolen from her. He was taller than her and held it out of her reach so she couldn’t get to it. Her face was twisted in exasperation, and Tim could only smile at how cute she looked.</p>
<p>	“Not until you admit it,” he teased as he dangled the candy right in front of her nose. When Sasha went to grab it, he yanked his hand away and back above his head.</p>
<p>	“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said and crossed her arms over her chest, her lip jutting out to form a pout. It tugged at Tim’s heartstrings, but he wasn’t going to give in so easily.</p>
<p>	“No confession, no candy.”</p>
<p>	“Fine!” Sasha groaned. “Yes, I thought you were the hottest person in the Archives, and, yes, I also had a huge crush on you for a long couple of months. Happy?” Sasha uncrossed her arms and held out one hand.</p>
<p>	Tim was speechless as he handed the candy back to Sasha. He tried to control his features but he knew that Sasha had seen his expression.</p>
<p>	“Tim, you knew this,” she said, her right eyebrow raising above the other. “Wait, you did know that I liked you, right?”</p>
<p>	“Y-yeah, I did. It’s just,” he paused, “different hearing you say it. I guess.”</p>
<p>	“Oh, don’t be such a little kid about it,” she rolled her eyes, a smile plastered wide on her beautiful face. She unwrapped the candy she held and popped it into her mouth, sighing contently. “Don’t think about it too hard while I’m gone. Got some more stuff to sort.” She reached up on her tiptoes and ruffled Tim’s hair. </p>
<p>	That was the last time she had touched him.</p>
<p>	Tim pushed against the blackness in his vision. Sasha’s smile was bright against the back of his eyelids, able to penetrate even the most pitch-black night The Dark had to offer. He’d already lost Sasha, losing himself when he was so close to seeing Jon and Martin again wasn’t going to be an option. Like hell he’d let another boss take away his freedoms.</p>
<p>	Tim’s foot came up and planted itself steadily on the ground. He could distantly hear Lynx swear in the middle of his chant. There was someone talk rapidly; Deimos, most likely, the voice was a higher pitch, but Tim couldn’t quite wrap his head around what it way saying.</p>
<p>	He was too focused on trying to stand. He pushed against his arms in order to plant his other foot on the ground. Through the crushing weight, against all odds, Tim stood up. He could hear Lynx’s voice getting louder, but the weight his words carried only seemed to lighten.</p>
<p>	When he finally stood up, Lynx was done chanting and looked furious. Tim was as free as a bird, his limbs felt the lightest they had in a long time. He smiled and stretched his arms up, moving his limbs in various directions to prove that Lynx had no power him anymore. It was over. His eyes searched the room for the gun before he saw where it lay on the floor across the room.</p>
<p>	Tim took one step towards his weapon before Lynx shouted. “Don’t do this!” he screamed. His voice sounded raw. “Do you have any idea how hard I’ve worked for you? Do you have any fucking clue what I could give you?!”</p>
<p>	Tim stopped dead in his tracks as his head snapped in Lynx’s direction. He hadn’t moved from his chair, still as Deimos’ arms were still wrapped around him tightly. He looked enraged against Deimos’ steady calm; it looked as if it had made a difficult decision and now needed to live with it.</p>
<p>	“He’s not yours,” it said quietly, though it sounded oddly human.</p>
<p>	“What?” Lynx seemed shocked at Deimos’ comment but quickly schooled his face back to anger. “Be quiet, Deimos. I know you care about him, but you know the deal. So why don’t you shut your trap and let me deal with this mistake that you’ve made. You obviously didn’t make the connection strong enough.”</p>
<p>	“Or maybe he’s more human than you realize,” Deimos said as she removed her arms from around Lynx’s neck and stood tall. “That’s what makes him so beautiful.”</p>
<p>	“I never thought I’d have to say this, Deimos, but you’re going to need to get back on the table,” Lynx spat, his voice hinted at a note of betrayal. “I’m not going to have you back talk me like this. Your mistake can even join you, except he’s not coming back this time with a brain.”</p>
<p>	Tim had a hard time following the conversation. They seemed to have forgotten about him for a moment, so he took the opportunity to inch closer and closer to his weapon until it was in arm’s reach. He started to reach for the gun when he heard a commotion from across the room, a large crack echoed off the walls.</p>
<p>	Tim glanced over towards the dek and saw Lynx stood at his full height, a crossbow held at the end of his extended arm. Tim searched the room quickly for Deimos and saw it lying against the far wall, a dent large and prominent in its forehead In the low light, Tim was unable to make out much else in his brief glance before he turned his attention back to Lynx. </p>
<p>	Tim didn’t know whether Deimos was dead but still felt a pang in his chest; his body was mourning its creator. He fought against the tears that weren’t his and steeled his nerves as he stared down Lynx.</p>
<p>	“Don’t move,” Lynx’s voice shook as he spoke. “Just walk over to me darling, slowly, and we can work this out. I can give you the whole world if you’ll sit by my side in the Underground. We can rule this place together.” Lynx’s voice was uneven but the hand that held his weapon was steady.</p>
<p>	“I don’t want to rule anywhere. You’re the one who took away the only thing I need,” Tim spat as his hand inched closer to the gun.</p>
<p>	“I saved your life!” Lynx roared. “If it wasn’t for me, you would still be dead! Your insides would still be coating the rubble of the building you died in for a cause you so stupidly believed in!” Tim watched as a single tear rolled down Lynx’s cheek, reflected softly by the lamplight.</p>
<p>	Tim didn’t feel sorry.</p>
<p>	He lunged for the gun and fumbled to position it correctly. Before he got the chance to lift it, he felt waves of sharp, white-hot pain roll up his arm that caused him to drop the gun. He grabbed his wrist and looked down at his hand; a crossbow arrow jutted awkwardly out of both sides of his hand. </p>
<p>	Tim distantly heard screaming as he stood up and began to charge Lynx. He realized the screams came from him as he ripped the arrow out of his hand. Lynx was fumbling to get another arrow into his weapon, but he was still quicker than Tim. He extended his arm yet again, crossbow pointed directly at Tim’s head. </p>
<p>	“Stop, or I’ll make sure your friends end up in the same position as you,” Lynx spoke softly, the grip on his weapon steady.</p>
<p>	“Don’t touch them, you piece of shit,” Tim spoke harshly but still complied as he came to a stop and raised his hands above his head.</p>
<p>	“Then stop being difficult and come with me,” Lynx smiled as he spoke, his voice soft and comforting. It made Tim sick. “We’ll get you on the Operating Table and you’ll be good as new. Your friends will be safe.”</p>
<p>	Tim took a deep breath and used the pain in his hand as a way to clear his head. He didn’t want to go with Lynx, to sign his life away into the hands of the people who took Danny away from him. But it was too late to save his brother. He’d accepted that a long time ago. Now it was his job to make sure his friends stayed safe.</p>
<p>	Lynx stalked through the room, coming out from behind his desk with a triumphant smile. He pressed the tip of his weapon against Tim’s sternum and he felt as the metal in the arrow had penetrated his skin, sending waves of pain, red hot and rapid, spread through his chest.</p>
<p>	Lynx removed the weapon before walking around Tim, placing the crossbow in between his shoulder blades. “Walk. Go through the door, you know which one,” Lynx said, his voice raw and filled with a feeling of deep sorrow that surprised Tim. </p>
<p>	I’m sorry, he thought. I’m sorry I couldn’t be strong enough and get back to you. I’m sorry I put you all through so much. I’m sorry Jon. I’m sorry Martin.</p>
<p>	I’m sorry Danny.</p>
<p>	Just as Tim placed his hand on the handle to the door, he heard a commotion happening behind him. The pressure for Lynx’s crossbow disappeared and Tim heard the sound of somebody choking. He turned around quickly and couldn’t believe what he was seeing; Deimos had its arms wrapped around Lynx’s neck, choking him. He clawed at its arms, desperately trying to pull them away as his face turned a bright pink.</p>
<p>	But Deimos was stronger, its arms made to kill and restrain. Deimos’ arms jerked and Tim heard a loud crack. Deimos released its hold on Lynx and he fell to the ground hard, his body still. Deimos righted itself and looked at Tim as a sad smile made its way across the dolls face.</p>
<p>	“Go,” was all it said. Its voice sounded broken, a record skipping after being bent or broken.</p>
<p>	“Thank you,” Tim breathed, staring at the body of Lynx in shock. “Why did... why did you help me?”</p>
<p>	“Because I love you,” it sighed. “You were the prettiest thing I have ever made, and Lynx was going to ruin you. Just as he did me,” Deimos said, reaching up to touch the giant crack that ran along its face. He hadn’t seen that before.</p>
<p>	“I’m not as cruel as you may think me to be,” Deimos started. “I was made to see the beauty in things crafted, to toe the line between what is real and what is synthetic. You are beautiful on the outside, yes, but your brain is beautiful as well. Humans have so many emotions and feelings and wants and wishes and dreams, and that is what I love about them.</p>
<p>	“You don’t deserve to have your mind taken from you. The beauty of Humanity lies within how they feel. Lynx forgot that. He was going to run the Underground into the ground, quite literally. Ha,” Deimos smiled and brought up a hand to cup Tim’s chin. “Now go, before the whole Underground knows what has happened. Take this,” it turned around and reached over to Lynx’s desk, handing the Leitner to Tim. </p>
<p>	“You can use that to fix yourself up. I can’t promise things will go back to normal once you get back to your friends, but you can try. I’m not going to stop you.” Deimos dropped its hand and stepped out of the way. </p>
<p>	“Thank you,” Tim says again, his mind not being able to think of anything else to say. He walked towards the opening of the tent, pulling back the flap. He turned back quickly and saw Deimos smile sadly, raising one hand in a half hearted goodbye.</p>
<p>	Tim nodded and turned around, ducking out of the tent. With the book tucked under his arm, he made his way back towards the elevator. He expected to be stopped but the members of the Circus didn’t seem to pay him any mind. He shivered and picked up his pace.</p>
<p>	No one halted his journey as he made his way to the elevator and pressed the call button. The doors opened and Tim stepped inside, pressing the button that would take him to the surface. A simple button that will break all ties with the Underground and their twisted, selfish plans. When Tim reached the surface, the sun was higher in the sky. It shone down harshly, rays of golden warmth poured over Tim’s skin.</p>
<p>	He brought up his hand to shield his eyes and got a proper look at the wouldn in his hand. Little blood seemed to have spilled from the wound, and the pain had dulled to a slight ache. He sighed and looked grimly down at the Leitner that was held in his other hand. He noted grimly that there was probably something in the book that was meant to help with wounds. But he didn’t want to focus on that now. He needed to get back to the Archives.</p>
<p>	In his seeming stroke of luck, Tim found a parking lot off to the side of the lot where the tents sat. It was filled with cars of various makes, models, and decades. The inner little boy in him freaked out at the various well-known cars that were scattered around, but he knew he didn’t have time to entertain that whim. He chose a car closest to him and looked inside; the keys were left in the ignition. </p>
<p>	He opened the door and sat inside the car. He took a deep breath before he started the car and the engine roared to life. He took a moment to check his mirrors out of habit and scoffed at himself; he’s trying to escape literal death and has the audacity to perform such a mundane task. </p>
<p>	Tim shook his head and placed the car in drive before slamming his foot on the gas and booking it out of the plot where his captors lived. </p>
<p>********</p>
<p>	It had been early morning when Tim left the Underground, he’d watched the sun cross the entire sky and the moon rise before he got any bearing as to where he was. The moon was full, the stars bright as they illuminated his path home. </p>
<p>	Various glances at road signs and asking a shady-looking man direction brought Tim into a part of London he finally recognized. Dawn filtered through his windows just as Tim pulled into the Institute's car park. He noticed with a pang that his usual parking spot was still empty; the spot next to it, Martin’s, was occupied by his beat up PT Cruiser. </p>
<p>	Tim sat in the car for a few minutes and gathered his thoughts. He’d known that his life would never be the same; the few days, months, he’d spent with the Underground had changed him more than he’d ever know. He wasn’t sure just how purely human he was anymore. He thought of Martin and Jon’s reactions to him in this state and cringed. If they didn’t accept him, he’d have nothing to hold on to anymore.</p>
<p>	Tim pulled the handle on the door and it swung open smoothly. Tim placed his foot on the pavement below and swallowed against the lump in his throat. He stepped out and closed the door behind him before making his way towards the front door of the Institute. He hiked up the book that rested under his arm and steeled his nerves. </p>
<p>	He placed his hand on the ornate-looking door knob and paused, a shiver running down his spine. Tim took a deep breath and gripped the handle harder, tension ran through his body and made his muscles ache. The unknown loomed before him, a terrifying ordeal he had no clue how to handle after what he’d just been through. But he couldn’t think about that right now.</p>
<p>	“My name is Timothy Stoker,” he said before he pulled the door open and stepped inside.</p>
<p>	“I am loved.”</p>
<p>
  
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! If you'd like to find me outside of AO3, you can check out my tumblr <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/imalwaysintune">(@imalwaysintune)</a> or you could leave a tip of my Ko-Fi <a href="https://ko-fi.com/itsaleclee">(@itsaleclee)</a> :D</p>
<p>Also, make sure to check out my artist's socials as well, they did absolutely amazing and I'm so happy with the outcome!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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